Serendipity
by MoonlightTyger
Summary: Serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Could this be such an instance? One author's impressions of how Gauche and Droite found their way to Leviathan's Claw.
1. Nor House

**THIS FIC CONTAINS SPOILERS UP TO AND INCLUDING ZAUDE, AS WELL AS THE GAUCHE AND DROITE SIDEQUEST.**

****_Well, here it is; my ToV fic is finally up. I'm so sorry it took this long; I wish I had good reasons, but unfortunately, most of it was a combo of Writer's Block and pure laziness. Ah, but enough of that, on with the story :)_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tales copyright or the characters; I am merely a fan who enjoys writing about them. All rights belong to Namco; character designs (c) Kosuke Fujishima.**

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**Serendipity**

-Chapter 1: Nor House-

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"…And this is where you will sleep."

"Thank you, ma'am," was the quiet response.

Two little girls – one a turquoise-eyed blonde, her hair having a sort of lime sheen to it; the other, a redheaded, pink-irised lass - looked around slowly, sadly, at the room. It was not exactly an encouraging sight to behold: several bunk beds and some dressers, plain white walls covered in childrens' drawings. In the left wall were two square windows, fading curtains adorning either side. Children were seated on the floors or the bunks, coloring or chatting or otherwise entertaining themselves. Except now they had all turned and were staring at the newcomers. The girls' cheeks burned.

Ms. Ferris - for that was the name of the lady - introduced the girls to the other children, saying that the girls would be living there from now on. She led them to an empty bunk near the far corner of the room.

"If you need anything else - anything at all - please, do not hesitate to ask. You needn't be shy."

"...Thank you." A quieter response. The good woman nodded sadly, before leaving the room. The two sat down on the lower bunk, the blonde moving to hug the other. The younger girl slumped against her, tears forming once more in the pink eyes.

"So...so this is where we stay now?" the voice came out in a whisper. "Why? What was so important that they had to leave in the first place? They knew the war made travel dangerous!

"They're gone, all of them!" a whisper softer, and sadder, than the first. "They're gone and we are never going to see them again!"

The little blonde - though she had tried to keep a strong face for her friend - found she could no longer hold back her tears. The two clung tightly to each other, sorrow coming over them once more.

Sadness was much too common these days.

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The orphanage was called Nor House, located in a little white-brick building up on the north part of town . It was nothing fancy; as a matter of fact, it was rather rundown and a far cry from what used to be. But it was a place to stay, with a roof over their heads and a bed to sleep in.

True to its name, the establishment had originally been in Capua Nor; however, several years ago the previous governess - growing more and more discontent with where things were going in the Empire - had relocated the House to the brighter (and guild-run) sister harbor of Torim. The move had been very hard, but she had sincerely believed the children would fare better in this environment.

However, every road has its mountains to climb. Capua Nor, while being part of the empire she didn't like, with a magistrate she didn't trust, nonetheless had its advantages: plenty of nobles passed through Nor while traveling, many of them eager to show off their wealth via donating to charity. It was a shallow sort of thing on both ends, but nonetheless necessary for it allowed the House to survive. But nobles did not pass so often through Torim and those that did usually shunned the orphanage for "turning its back" on the Empire. Occasionally someone would donate, but not nearly often enough.

The previous governess had sadly died from illness sometime ago, leaving the orphanage's care to her daughter, the current headmistress, Ms. Ferris. Though she had supported her mother whole-heartedly in the move – and indeed, she could see that Mrs. Ferris' belief that Torim Harbor was an altogether healthier environment was correct – she couldn't help but worry about money. Many of the older children worked, and gave back what they could, but she certainly didn't want them tied to this place all of their lives; they needed to move on with their own. It hadn't been quite so difficult before the war, but the fighting had made so many more orphans – as was the story with the newest additions to their home (and of course, she would never turn away a child in need).

Most of the children knew nothing of these details, of course; they knew that Nanny had "money problems" sometimes, but otherwise went about as they always did, safe within childhood's blissful ignorance.

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Well, there it is (corny title, I think, but it kinda stuck ;).

Anyway, I meant to lengthen this - even almost finished writing that part - but when I really examined it, I realized the chapter was much better just leaving it where it was. Yeager will appear in the next chapter (hopefully it's longer and comes easier than this one!)

As with last time, remember that much of this is pure speculation on my part; there is not a lot of info about Leviathan's Claw out there. Gauche and Droite's ages, when they came to the orphanage, etc. - all fan conjecture from moi.

In any case, thank you all for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!

~MoonlightTyger


	2. Yeager

_Finally! More than a year and a half after I posted it, here is the second chapter! I'm so sorry to keep everyone and I really really hope it was worth the wait. I promise not to take so long this time._

_For those Tales of the Abyss fans, I'm working on _Fonbelt_ too. It's a much longer story than this one, so it'll take awhile. But I'm getting there._  
**  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tales copyright or the characters; I am merely a fan who enjoys writing about them. All rights belong to Namco; character designs (c) Kosuke Fujishima.**

* * *

**Serendipity**

-Chapter 2: Yeager -

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Orphans were all too common these days.

That's what he thought as he walked through the streets of Capua Torim; in just the few hundred feet from the city entrance to the merchants' stalls, he'd seen more than two dozen lonely-looking boys and girls; some smiling, some not, but nearly all with that same sort of pained look in their eyes. He knew that look. He'd worn that look, too. The pained eyes of losing someone dear.

Of course, what was he to be walking or talking at all? A dead man who somehow managed to escape its clutches. It was not without advantage, not without grief. Perhaps the greatest sorrow being that the he could not join the one he loved.

However, as long as he was alive - if indeed it could be called that - he figured he ought to make what he could of it. Yeager had never really been one to give up, after all. Casey wouldn't want that, either.

He had entered the marketplace and business district now, which had been his true destination. He had a lunch meeting there with the head of a marketing guild - Fields of Gold - that specialized in produce and various bread and grain. Dahngrest was a lively city, but it didn't have as much variety in the food department as Torim did; purchasing the items directly from there meant more variety and more freshness, since there would be no heaven-knew-how-long wait in the Den of Guilds. Most of the time, Yeager simply placed orders and had some of his men attend to it, but every now and then, he would travel to meet personally with the merchants. It let them know someone was on top of things.

This was the first time he had seen so many orphans, though. Yet another sad result of the war.

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He took a glance at his pocketwatch. First five, and then ten minutes past. The merchant with whom he was supposed to meet was late; this wasn't the best of signs. At last, twenty minutes later, a messenger arrived with apologies from the absent party.

"Mr. Mills has unfortunately been delayed," the younger man said, "there's been an emergency that he must see to, and hopes that you will be able to reschedule for tomorrow. Any expenses in the meantime, of course, will be covered by Fields of Gold."

Twenty minutes late - and only just getting the message - had Yeager sufficiently annoyed, but Mills was normally very reliable; if it truly was an emergency, then perhaps this was the best he could do. And he was intending to cover the expenses.

"Pleaze inform Millz zat I would like to reschedule for early tomorrow morning...zay, nine 'o clock? Shall I be meeting wis him at ze guild's headquarters?"

"That will be fine, sir; I know Mr. Mills will be appreciative. When you decide to turn in, simply give the Innkeeper our name; I shall see to it everything is ready for you there, and inform Mills of tomorrow's appointment. Thank you again, sir, and please have a pleasant day."

The young man left, and Yeager suddenly found himself with an afternoon of freedom. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd enjoyed such a thing; with not one, but two, guilds to run - and each under a different persona - he had more than enough work to do...his days (and often nights) were filled with constant activity. But it had paid off well: Leviathan's Claw was becoming more well-known within the guilds as weapons-dealers, and Ruin's Gate was known throughout both the guild-lands and the Empire as excavators of blastia.

Yeager was next setting his sights on the city of scholars, Aspio. A veritable fountain of information, not only for blastia, but also for certain, more _classified_ happenings in the Empire (if one knew where to look and what for) it was not easy to get permission to enter, but he was certain that within the next year or so, Regaey and Ruin's Gate would have done just that. And then the real fun would begin...smuggling blastia from under that fink Alexei's nose was hardly payback for the awful experiments done to him and the others - some of whom had not survived - but it was nevertheless some measure of vengance against the loony Commandant, and would benefit the guilds as well. It was only a matter of time.

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An afternoon of absolute freedom and he was spending it on work.

He snorted as he thought about what Casey might have had to say about it. She either would have laughed at him or told him he was working too hard, probably both. He certainly could not disagree with the sentiment; however, what else was he supposed to do? At the very least, he could stop by some of the other vendors and get some ordering done, and it would be silly not to do it when he was already in town.

He was heading now to a guild that dealt mostly in cheese and dairy products; it was actually a fairly new one, but so far was proving to be just as reliable as its older competitors, plus it had a wider selection.

"Care to buy a flower, sir?"

"Hmm?" Yeager turned around; there behind him stood a woman: slightly heavyset with dark brown hair, perhaps in her early thirties. At her side was a pushcart, filled to the brim with flowers of purple and red and gold. Nothing spectacular, but they were pretty.

"...How much?"

"Five gald a flower; forty a dozen."

Despite his growing reputation as a fearsome guildleader - and his combat skills would certainly not dispel that reputation - Yeager did have a kind heart. The woman couldn't possibly be making that much money off this; flowers weren't all that uncommon in a sunny place like Torim.

"Alright, I zhall take a dozen of your red ones, yes?"

"Yes, thank you for your business, sir." The woman smiled gently and proceeded to pick out a dozen of the best red flowers.

"Have a lovely day, sir."

"Thank you."

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It may have been fate stepping in later that day as Yeager walked toward the Inn. He'd been busy all afternoon, and now he was ready for some supper and a good bottle of wine. The sun would be setting soon, painting the harbor sky with colors of the evening.

"Hey, give that back!"

"Screw you!"

"Hmm?" Not fifteen feet away, along the street toward the markets, a boy not more than ten years old was staring helplessly at three older teens.

"Nanny sent me to get some things for dinner - please, give that back!" He jumped at a small bag that the older boy held just out of reach. "How am I supposed to-"

"You still call her 'Nanny'? Get lost, it's our money now!"

"May I help you, zjentlemen?" Yeager approached the lads, a menacing glare on his face. "What iz going on here?"

"They stole my money!"

"Who're you?" an older teen sneered.

"Who I am iz not important. Why are zou tormenting zis child?"

"Get lost, gramps, it's nothing to do with you."

"It dos _now_. If zou wanted zis private, zyou should have done zis in a private setting. Now anzer my question. Why are zou tormenting zis boy? Surely zuch..._energetic_ young men zuch as yourzelfs are capable uf finding work in zis town? Zere should be no need for petty zievery and on zomeone haf zor size. Vhy don't zou give ze boy back his money now?"

"You talk weird. You wanna make something of it, gramps?" Yeager looked completely unimpressed as the three teens turned menacingly toward him, and inwardly, he laughed. They probably thought they could take him: he was not what you could call a large man (no more than five-eight), _and_ outnumbered. But a guildsleader and former Knight of the Imperial Army had very little to fear from three errant teenagers.

Especially when his weapon was drawn. The three young men stopped short as the scythe, deadly blade all too prominent, was pointed in their direction. Yeager didn't actually need the weapon to beat them, but his intent was to scare them before he had to. They weren't worth _that_ much effort.

"What was zis again about "making somesing uf it"?" he replied, eyes widening. Then he narrowed them, grinning dangerously. "I belief zyou were saying somesing about returning zis boy's money to him, ja? _Zat's_ right." The older teen quickly shoved the boy's bag back into his hands, and Yeager swept a malicious gaze over the three.

"Good," he nodded, "Count yourselfs lucky. I don't sink you want to be causing zis boy anymore trouble, ja? Now get out uf here before I get mad!" The three were off like a shot, and Yeager put his scythe away. He bent down to where the smaller boy had been watching in awe.

"Are you alright?" Yeager asked kindly. "Did zey hurt you in any way?

"N-no...they only pushed me..."

"Well, zat iss still unacceptable. Preying on a boy haf zheir size is hardly sporting." Yeager stood up, offering a hand. "Did zey give zou back _all_ ze money zey took?"

"I...I think so...they didn't take any out before you got here." The boy inclined his head gratefully. "Thank you for helping me. Nanny doesn't have much money; it would have been really hard if they had gotten away..."

"'Nanny'?"

"She's the one who took us in. She takes care of us."

""Took us in"?" Yeager tilted his head and raised his nonexistant eyebrows. Then his expression softened. "You are an orphan, ja?"

The boy looked down. "Yeah. Everyone at Nor House is. There've been a lot more since the war started."

A sallow smile appeared on Yeager's face, for only a moment. Yes, since the war started and ended.

"My parents died in it, too," he added, sadly. "They were Altosk."

Guildmembers. So his Knights had done it.

"Where were you going?" he asked the boy next.

"To the market. Nanny sent me to pick up some things...but then they surprised me." He ducked his head a little. "I hope they don't come after me again..."

"Zis has happened before?"

"Yeah. I can run pretty fast, though."

"I would imagine." The more shrewd part of the guildsman's personality - one of the things that Alexei had so recognized and even praised - screamed survival of the fittest, but even so, Yeager had never been wholly heartless (however literally he was now), and the idea that someone would steal money from _an orphan_ was not one he could (with whatever conscience he had left) really justify, either.

Of course, from what he had just been told, this boy might not even _be_ an orphan if not for his Knights.

"What do you zay," Yeager smiled at the youngster, "if I zhould accompany zou to ze market? I doubt zey would be attacking zou wis myzelf around."

The boy's face lit up, "Really? That'd be great!"

"_Gut_. Yet us be on our way, zen."

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Yeager ended up going with the boy both _to_ the market, _and_ back. Nor House was down an alley on the eastern side of town, away from the docks. The building itself was rather run-down and sad-looking (as well it should be "sad"; what orphanage wasn't?), and the boy - whose name Yeager had yet to learn, he realized - skipped up to the door.

"Nanny, I'm back!" he cried, simultaneously knocking on the door and entering. "Come in, sir," he gestured back to Yeager. "I know Nanny would like to meet you." Yeager sighed, but decided to humor the boy.

The inside of the orphanage was even sadder than the outside. There were holes in the floorboards and plaster coming off the walls, and he could hear a dripping in the kitchen sink. The furniture in the sitting room looked as though it had once been quite beautiful, but now it was worn, faded. He hadn't even seen the rest of the property.

(To their credit, though, the house _was_ clean.)

"Nanny!" the boy called again, walking down the hall, "Nanny, I got the stuff you needed!"

"Antoine, where have you been?" A slightly heavyset woman came out of a room down the hall, and Yeager instantly recognized her as the flower-seller from before. "I was just getting ready to come look for you. Oh, who's this- _oh_, it's you!" (Evidently, she recognized him, too.)

"He helped me!" Antoine cheerfully said, launching into an explanation of what had happened. Yeager was suddenly embarrassed as the woman turned to him with a gentle smile.

"How kind of you," she remarked. "Please, you must stay for supper."

"Oh, no-no," Yeager quickly said, "I would not want to impoze..."

"Why, it's not an imposition at all," the lady replied cheerfully. "It's the least we can do, really. Oh, but forgive my manners - I haven't introduced myself. I am Margret Ferris, Headmistress of Nor House."

"Yeager," the guildleader replied simply, putting his hand forward. Ms. Ferris shook it warmly. "A pleazure to meet zou."

"Indeed, as am I. Antoine, if you would, please take those into the kitchen and start cutting them up."

"Yes ma'am." Antoine hurried off.

"He's a good boy," Ms. Ferris smiled. Then she sobered. "Even after all he's been through, and he still finds a way to smile."

"Ja, he told me about hiz parents," Yeager told her, "Are zey all war orphans?"

"War orphans? Not _all_ of them," she replied, "but a lot of them. Mostly from the guilds; we don't get too many from the Empire all the way over here."

"I vould imagine not." The Empire had two orphanages in Zaphias, both of them funded by the charity of nobles. Dahngrest had one, too - with specialized donations from several guilds (Fields of Gold, for instance, often donated groceries) - but in Dahngrest, it was different: after eight or nine, children without parents or relatives were expected to find a guild to join, and that guild would become their family.

"There's so many more now because of that awful war," Ms. Ferris commented then. "I know they did what they had to, but..."

"I understand," Yeager responded. "And it iz not eazy to watch children suffer," he added. He glanced into the room the headmistress had come out of; on either side, makeshift bunk beds were packed very closely together; there wasn't a lot of room to move or play.

"Well, I had best get supper started," the governess said then, leading them toward the kitchen. "Would you like a cup of tea while you wait? Supper shan't take me long to make..."

"I apologize," Yeager nodded at her, "I am afrayd zat I really cannot stay, for I have bizzniss in za city." That was a lie, but they were clearly in strained circumstances, and anyway, he didn't like the idea of taking food that should be going to a child. "But sank zou for your kind offer. Perhaps...anozer night, ja?"

"Do you have to go, sir?" Antoine had overheard that bit, and stood there with a small frown. Yeager nodded again.

"I am afrayd so," he replied. "But a pyeasure it was to meet zou." Yeager reached out and shook the boy's hand as well.

"Thank you for all of your help," Antoine said. "Thank you _so_ much."

"Not at all," Yeager replied. "Goodnight." With that, he left.

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"I apologize for the inconvenience yesterday," Mills said, as he and Yeager met the next day. "There was an accident at one of the mills yesterday which required my attention."

"Zat is alright," Yeager nodded, "Sings happen."

"Thank you for your understanding," Mills inclined his head gratefully. "Now, I presume you are here to review your recent purchases?"

"Zhere is zat, ja," Yeager nodded once more. "Zhere is alzo somesing elze I would yike to dizcuss wis zou."

"Certainly. What is it?"

"I want to talk to zou about ze plyace called Nor House...suppozing I had deyliveries catered zhere az well? What would ze cost of zat be?"

Mills looked at him for a moment, surprised. Then he shook his head. "Well..."

* * *

Well, I apologize for such a long wait, and I hope it doesn't suck too badly ^^; I realize it's probably a little cliched, and/or cheesy ^^;; It was a lot harder to get some of the details right than I thought it was going to be.

The fourth chapter should see the girls get into Leviathan's Claw. I'm really looking forward to writing that one ;) Yeager won't like me, though - the girls drive him nuts before he even makes it back to Dahngrest XD

I hope I didn't paint him as too much of a good guy, here; he's a tough one to pin down because there's so little backstory to go on (of course, half the fun is I get to make it all up!). My version of him is probably more noble than the actual one, but that's because to me that's the only way some things make sense.

**NOTES:**

- "Fields of Gold" is actually the name of a song: it was first recorded by Sting in 1993 (with the album _Ten Summoner's Tales_), but Lisa Kelly of Celtic Woman sang a very beautiful rendition of it (_Songs From the Heart_, 2010).

- The "flower girl" occupation itself is not a rip-off from Aerith of FFVII fame - the nanny actually is seen trying to sell flowers in a sidequest - however, the pushcart idea did come from _Crisis Core_. Thanks for the suggestion, Commander Fair ;P

- Yeager's an excellent fighter, and if you lost to him as many times as I did, you'd think so too.

- The smirk he gives to the teenagers is similar to the one he gives Yuri-tachi right before attacking them in Heliord (the first time you fight him).


	3. Gauche and Droite

_My apologies, I did have this ready to be posted by last night, but refused to let me login. Sorry for the delay; thanks so much for your patience. I realize it's a few weeks later than I initially thought, anyway, and I'm sorry. Let it be known, though, that I DID make it by the first __full_ week of February, so at least I didn't _completely_ fail my deadline XD Anyway, hope you enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tales copyright or the characters; I am merely a fan who enjoys writing about them. All rights belong to Namco; character designs (c) Kosuke Fujishima.  
**

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**Serendipity**

-Chapter 3: Gauche and Droite-

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One month later saw Yeager back in Capua Torim, after a business trip all the way to Nordopolica. He would stay a few days there, before heading back to Dahngrest for a meeting with the Union.

Fields of Gold had been catering regularly to Nor House for the past month, and Yeager had set aside a specific time to visit both guild and orphanage. Before he'd left, Yeager had had a long discussion with Mills about Nor House, and how to go about catering to it. He had told the other guildsleader to do whatever _he_ saw fit that the orphanage needed, and _not_ to take Ms. Ferris's word on just anything. "Spare no expense," Yeager had insisted. "If you see zhat zhey need something, or it appears as though ze governess is taking less zhan what she needs, _insist_ she take a little more. Hmm...nein, better yet, just leave it zhere, and I vill take care of it later." Ms. Ferris was ridiculously gracious, and Yeager couldn't see her freely taking anything more than what was absolutely needed.

And he did not want her or the children to have to get by on what they absolutely needed - more often than not, "needed" just wasn't enough. Furthermore, they should have extras; storage was important. A port town like Torim was not immune to floods or hurricanes or any manner of other storms, and the town had been known to experience those in the past. Or, on a less destructive level, what if the markets simply didn't have what they needed when they needed it? What if more children came who needed warm beds and full stomachs? His intention was not only to fill their table, but their pantry, too. Ms. Ferris simply would not do that of her own accord. Her gracious personality was both a blessing and a curse.

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The ship docked in Torim harbor mid-afternoon. Yeager had a porter take his bags to the Inn, while he continued onward toward the House. The orphanage was down a side-street off the city's main thoroughfare, housed in a sad little building deeper into town, up the stairs and away from the port. (The term "building" was used liberally, of course..."shack" was a more fitting description for that dilapidated old place.)

Yeager walked through the town's main shopping district and turned down the side street which would lead him to Nor House. The orphanage was in a poorer neighborhood, hidden away from the fancier districts. He rounded one corner, then another, and the home came into view. It was even more dilapidated than he remembered, with bricks chipped and corroded, and the leaning fence. But there were children playing happily in the front yard - innocent, unassuming, without a care in the world, just content to be alive. Ms. Ferris, however, was nowhere in sight.

Yeager approached the gate, and a young girl - no more than eight years old - came forward, regarding him somewhat cautiously. She was quite pretty, with red hair in wavy pigtails and tied with little bows, and irises of mulled pink. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked after a moment.

"Ja, perhaps," he said, giving her a friendly smile, and she reddened a little. "Vould ze headmistress of zhis institution be home? I was needing to speak wis' her."

"Ms. Ferris? She's not here right now," the girl informed him, relaxing somewhat. To all appearances, he was a wealthy man - hardly someone to turn away - but he was still a stranger. Nobles rarely ventured out this way, and most of the ones who did were led there by Ms. Ferris. But he and Nanny must already know each other.

"Who's this, Gauche?" Another little girl had approached - her pigtailed hair a unique blend of lime-green-blonde - and was watching them with curious aquamarine eyes.

"He's asking for Nanny," Gauche responded. She turned back to Yeager. "Nanny usually comes back home around four-thirty or five. Would you like to wait inside? We can make you something. Or I can give Ms. Ferris a message for you-"

"Hey, I remember you!" the other little girl suddenly exclaimed. "You were the guy who helped out Antoine! Gauche, this is Yeager!"

"_Whaaaaat?_" Gauche turned to her friend, eyes wide with horror. "_Droite_, why didn't you _tell me?_"

(_Left_ and _Right_?)

"I didn't realize until-" Droite was saying indignantly, but Gauche wasn't listening. She turned back to Yeager, bowing, flushing redder than a sunburn and stammering a bit over her next words:

"M-Mister Yeager, _sir_, I'm _so_ sorry! _Please_, come inside. Droite and I will make you some refreshments. Nanny will be home within the hour; you can speak with her then. I am _so_ sorry-"

"Zhat is quite alright," Yeager replied, chuckling at the little exchange. "Don't worry about it."

"Would you like to come inside?" Droite asked then. "Gauche and I can whip up a mean hazelnut tea, and we have scones with honey butter."

"Vhy, zhat sounds delightful," Yeager responded amicably. "I vould love some."

"Please, come with us." The girls turned toward the house and gestured for Yeager to follow.

"Anya," Droite said, looking at another girl about her age, "you're in charge, okay?" The other girl nodded.

Gauche and Droite led Yeager into the house and sat him down in the front room. Yes, the home was definitely poorer-looking than he had remembered: paint and plaster coming off the walls, worn sofa, furniture with dings and dents. But the fireplace was swept-out, the shelves hadn't a smidgen of dust, and the floor had been mopped. A few toys littered the carpet, but with thirty-or-so children, that was to be expected.

"Feel free to make yourself at home, sir," Droite said cheerfully. "We'll be right back." The little girl winked, then scampered into the kitchen after Gauche. Yeager only chuckled; they were quite the pair, those two.

"Why are you still so red, Gauche?" he heard Droite's voice from inside the kitchen.

"That was _really_ embarrassing, Droite! Why didn't you _tell_ me who he was?"

"I didn't remember his face at first; I only saw him in passing last time...and that was like, what? A month ago? Mmm...he's pretty handsome, don't you think?"

Silence.

"...I _knew_ it! You think so, too!"

"No, I don't! _Can_ it, Droite!" There was a giggle, and Droite appeared with scones and honey butter arranged neatly on a plate.

"My sister thinks you're hot," she whispered, setting the tray down.

"Does she, now?" Yeager chuckled, amused. "I'll take zhat as a compliment, zhen." Droite giggled again, and headed back into the kitchen. The guildleader helped himself to a scone and honey butter, and was thoroughly satisfied with their savory sweetness. Some minutes later, both girls re-entered the room, laden with a teapot, milk, and sugar.

"Danke - zhis looks lovely," Yeager commented. Gauche poured some tea, and he added in milk and sugar (lots and _lots_ of sugar). "Ze scones are quite delicious, might I say - did you make zhem yourselves?"

"Nanny helped us roll and cut them," Gauche replied, "and she cooked them for us. But we mixed everything ourselves."

"Yeah, we made the butter, too!"

"Vell, you did a fine job of it," he nodded. Both girls blushed, but smiled at the compliment.

"Is there anything else we can get for you?"

"No, no, zhis is vonderful," he said, taking another scone. "Thank you," he said again, this time in Saxonian (for few people understood his native Doitshan). "So, you said zhat Ms. Ferris zhould be home by...five o' clock, ja?"

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Ms. Ferris arrived back at the home at a quarter to five, pushcart in tow. Several of the children ran to greet her as she came up the walk, telling her there was a visitor inside.

"A visitor?" she asked as she walked in. "Now, who could that be?...Oh!" Yeager grinned and Ms. Ferris smiled warmly at him. "What a pleasant surprise!" she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"No need for apologies," the guildsleader replied, "for I came rather unexpectedly. Zhese fine girls set me down wis' some scones and good tea. It is not a problem at all."

"Yes," Ms. Ferris heartily agreed, smiling at the girls (both of whom blushed again), "they're of great help to me around the house."

"Nanny, who's this?" another small child at her side asked.

"Why, this is Mr. Yeager," she responded. "He's the nice man who's been paying for all of our food this last month."

"Oh." The child was very young, so the full generosity of the concept didn't quite register, but nevertheless, she offered a smile and a thank-you, and - as per a rare occasion for him - Yeager didn't know how to respond. He hadn't done it for a thank-you...

"Mr. Yeager!" a familiar voice called out (saving him), and Antoine entered with a smile on his face.

"And how have you been, Antoine?" Yeager asked him, "It's good to zee you. No more troubles, I take it?"

"Nope! They're too scared you'll show up again!"

Yeager smirked. "_Gut_." (Yeager may or may not have caught sight of one of the little brats on his way out of Torim, and taken "extra precautions" to _ensure_ the aforementioned lack of trouble, but Antoine didn't have to know that.)

"Are you going to stay for supper?" Antoine asked him then. "Nanny made a casserole."

"Yes, please do," Ms. Ferris added her assent. "It's the least we can offer."

Yeager deliberated for a moment. "Oh, vhy not?" he shrugged. He'd seen to it that the orphanage was well-stocked; there would be enough and more to go around, and it would be rude to turn them down a second time. Antoine smiled happily, as did Gauche and Droite.

"All right!"

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The dining area in the kitchen had three long wooden tables sitting end-to-end with each other, covered in cheerful blue-and -white checkered cloths. Ms. Ferris put down four large casserole dishes along the tables, each filled with her delicious cottage pie. She and some of the older children (including Antoine, Droite, and the girl Droite had spoken to earlier) helped dish out for everyone, than sat down on one of the six long benches on either side of the tables. Antoine shyly sat down on Yeager's right, while Droite bounced over without any preamble whatsoever, and plopped down on his left, dragging an embarrassed Gauche with her.

"Droite! That is _so rude!_" Gauche hissed. "You didn't even _ask_ him!"

"Children, as you may have noticed, we have a guest with us today," Ms. Ferris announced. "Please say thank-you to Mr. Yeager for his generosity; it's thanks to him that we have had such good meals this last month."

"Thank you!" the children chorused, and inwardly, Yeager found himself nearly as embarrassed as Gauche.

"Really, really...zhere is no need for zuch formalities..." he smiled genially. Time to change the subject. He turned to Antoine. "By ze way, vhere _did_ you go off to, Antoine? I vould have thought you would be here."

"Well..." Antoine ducked his head a little shyly, "I was out job-hunting, actually."

"Oh yes, Antoine, how did that go?" Ms. Ferris asked him.

"Yeah, tell us!" Droite chimed in.

"Yes, we'd like to hear."

"Well...it was going okay, I guess..." Antoine fidgeted a little bit, then smiled brightly at them. "Then Mr. Mills stopped and asked how I was doing. Anyway...um, we talked, and he ended up asking if maybe I would like to join his guild...and I told him that'd be great."

"Oh, Antoine - that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"

"Yes, I'm to report to their Torim headquarters this Sylphday," Antoine said.

"My, that's only two days away! But how exciting for you!"

"Yeah..."

After dinner, some of the older children - Phillipe, Gauche, Esmerelda, and Franz - pitched in to help wash the dishes and clean up, while the rest of the kids moved into either the bedroom or the main room, including Antoine and Droite, who pulled Yeager in along with them.

Overall, the guildsleader found himself very content as the evening wore on...chatting with the children, playing games...he hadn't felt so relaxed in ages. By and by, the sun set, and the children were put to bed. Ms. Ferris suggested that Yeager might have some cocoa with her before heading back to the Pollux, and he agreed. A light rain was just beginning outside.

"So..."Gauche" and "Droite"?" Yeager asked as he sat down, looking curiously at the headmistress. He'd heard many strange names over the course of his military and guild career, but these were the strangest so far. "Zheir parents named zhem "Left" and "Right"?"

"You know Francaisan?" Ms. Ferris laughed, "My goodness, there's no end of surprises to you, is there? Where did you learn such a pretty language?"

"My mother spoke it very well."

"Ah, I see." Ms. Ferris chuckled a little as she continued, "But to answer your question, no, Gauche and Droite are not their real names."

"I should hope not..."

Ms. Ferris chuckled again. "Of course not. One of the children - Phillipe - came from the Parysan district in Zaphias, one of the few Imperial children here. He named them for their dominant hands. Droite is right-handed and Gauche uses her left. The nicknames caught on - everyone, including myself, call them that now."

"I zee. Zhey are not blood sisters, nein?"

"No, but they are very close. We rarely see them apart. They're quite helpful to me around the home - always minding the other children."

Yeager smiled. "Ja, I noticed zhat. Zhey are quite ze pair, aren't zhey?" He and the headmistress spent some time chatting, even after the cocoa was long finished.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, looking at him. "Thank you for everything you have done for us. You can't imagine how much you have helped us."

"Really, it's no trouble," Yeager insisted. He was a little uncomfortable with getting thanked all the time. He did not do it for a thank-you. His eyes fell on the clock in the corner. "Oh, my - look at ze time! I am terribly sorry - how rude of me!"

"It's alright," Ms. Ferris smiled amiably. "It was nice to have the company. I love the children dearly, but I'll admit I do want for a conversation besides toys and comic books now and again," she laughed. "It's no trouble at all."

"Nevertheless, I really should be going."

"I do imagine you're ready for a good long sleep after that voyage - oh, but dear, you didn't bring an umbrella or a raincoat, did you?"

"Hmm?"

"It's storming outside." Yeager glanced out the window - indeed, the light rain falling earlier had turned into a heavy one, and they could hear more thunder in the distance.

"We can't have you walking all the way back to the Pollux in that storm," Ms. Ferris shook her head. "Such storms are so fierce; you'll catch your death out there. Why don't you just stay the night here? You can use my room, and I will take the couch."

Yeager all but glared at her. "Absolutely _not._ A _voman_ taking a _couch?_ How disgraceful - I am nothing if not a gentleman." He didn't want to sleep in his clothes, either, but that rain _was_ awful and he was without an umbrella, and at half-past eleven, it was quite dark even without a storm. He'd catch pneumonia or something equally undesirable, and that would mean a doctor's visit and like heck was he seeing one of those any more than he had to. Every six months to get his blastia checked was every six months too much.

"Alright," he finally said, "but _I'm_ taking ze couch."

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Visiting at Nor House was an unexpected yet welcome de-stresser, and a nice change from his daily routine.

_Sleeping_ at Nor House was far different story.

Yeager groaned into the pillow as yet another round of wind and thunder shook the rundown house. He should have taken his chances with the pneumonia. How on Terca Lumereis could the children sleep at _all_ in this? He didn't mind the rain - it was kind of comforting, actually - and that was good because Tolbyccia was full of it. As a knight, he had learned to fall asleep in all manner of places, under all manner of weather, because one could be fighting for days on end, and never knew when the next nap was coming.

Except that the tents hadn't whistled or leaked (the house did both - Yeager was just glad the water wasn't dripping on his _head_), and his Manor never shook with the wind or thunder, the latter of which he was not much fond of. It wasn't as though he was _scared_ of the thunder _persay_, but it, combined with the lightning and that Entelexeia-forsaken shaking reminded him of those awful days on Temza just before he'd died...endless droves of monsters, artes and attacks felling men beside him, rocking the ground beneath their feet...

Lightning lit up the sky once more, and another round of thunder crashed; the guildsleader groaned again and pulled the pillow over his head. Would this storm _never_ end?

A sob from down the hall interrupted his train of thought. It had come from the direction of the childrens' room. Moments passed, the house-earthquake came again, and so did another little cry. Curious, and with some concern, Yeager got up off the couch, and moved quietly toward the sound.

Across from the children's room was the house's only other bathroom (the first was attached to Ms. Ferris's room, though she allowed the children use of that as well). The door was half-open. Yeager couldn't see very well - the high window in room was darkened because of the storm - but peering through the space between the door and the frame, he could just make out a small lump behind the hinged wood, against the wall, and a quiet sniffling apart from the rain. Yeager regarded the unknown figure with empathy; whomever was in there was clearly having even worse a night than he was.

"Hello?" he said, in a voice just louder than a whisper. Thunder crashed again, drowning out any response, save for another little cry. Yeager lowered down to one knee, closer to ear-level with the person just inside. "Hello?" he spoke through the crack, tapping lightly on the frame with his knuckle. "Who is in zhere?"

The sniffling stopped. "...W-who's there?" a small, scared voice called back softly, after a moment. "A-Antoine?"

"No, zhis is Yeager," he corrected quietly, "I had supper wis' you, remember?"

A pause and a sniffle. "Yeager?" the voice repeated.

"Ja," Yeager nodded, even though the child likely couldn't see it. "Who is zhis?" he asked again.

Another pause. "...This is Gauche," the child finally said.

"Gauche?" he repeated. "Vhat's ze matter, Liebchen?"

"Mmm..."

Yeager was silent for a moment. What to do, what to do? "...Vhy don't you come out of zhere?" he finally said, standing up. He had a good idea of what was bothering her, but surely it would be better for her to tell him herself, and that was better done face-to-face. The door moved a little, and he could make out the shadow of a child, crawling out from behind it.

"Vhat are you doing up so late, Liebchen?" he asked then, not unkindly. "You should be in bed wis' ze others."

"I-I _was_ asleep," the little girl explained, clutching a toy dog. "But then I woke up and had to use the bathroom...and-and then that _storm_-"

As if to emphasize the admission, the lightning and thunder came again, causing Gauche to jump and cover her ears, fresh tears making their way down her cheeks. He put an arm around the little girl's shoulders, and she pressed against his side, burying her face in his shirt. The guildsleader was startled, but only for a moment. A certain protectiveness and empathy had overcome him - even moreso than usual when he was around children - and he moved to stroke her hair, gently rubbing her back, as his own mother had done when he was small.

"Shh," he soothed, brushing the tears away with a sleeve. "Don't very much like storms, nein?" he asked kindly, squeezing her shoulders a bit.

"Mm-mmm," Gauche shook her head, voice muffled. She clutched harder, wrenching the shirt in her small hands. "The thunder...it's so _loud_...and it shakes everything..."

"Ja," he replied, "I don't...much care for ze thunder, either."

Gauche looked up at him, surprise and a little relief on her face. "You _don't_?"

"It brings back unpleasant memories of ze War," Yeager explained. "Especially ze shaking - it's not so bad wis'out ze shaking. Ze rain is comforting enough, zhough.

"Vell," he said then, "how about a glass of water, ja?" he suggested, giving her shoulder another little squeeze.

"Mmm." She buried her face in his side again.

"Come on, Liebchen," he said, taking her hand and leading her into the kitchen. Some water would do them both good.

"Leap...shin?" she sniffed, sitting down on a corner of the table.

"Means "dear", or "sweetheart"," he explained. "It's Doitshan - one of my native languages."

"Doitshan? Mommy used to talk about that. It must be fun to know more than one language."

"It is quite useful at times," Yeager agreed. He sat down across from her, handing her a glass. She took a gulp.

"Mr. Yeager?"

"Oh, no need for ze "Mr."," he said cheerfully. "Just Yeager is fine. But vhat vas your question?"

"What guild are you from?"

"Hmm? Which guild?"

"There's a symbol on your ring," she observed, pointing at the silver band on his right ring finger, upon which the insignia was quite visible. "What guild is it?" she asked again.

"Leviasan's Claw," he finally said. "I direct it."

"Wow...what does the guild do?"

"Ve sell weapons and hoplon blastia. Sometimes, ve'll do custom works for clients. It's quite lucrative."

"Wow." Gauche finished her water, and put her and Yeager's glasses in the sink. The house shook once more, and she winced. Yeager looked at her sympathetically, going over and putting an arm around her again.

"I don't sink you'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon, hmm?" he asked, and she shook her head, hugging her toy dog. Yeager sighed as more lightning came, and he felt a shiver run up her back. "Vell," he said, watching the rain on the windowpanes, "how about you come and sit wis' me awhile, ja? Vould zhat be good?"

Gauche paused, then nodded silently. Yeager moved into the main room, the little girl trailing after him like a puppy, and sat down on the couch, pulling the blanket around his shoulders. Gauche sat next to him, curling up under his arm and hiding her face once more.

"Shh," he soothed again, rubbing her shoulder and back. "All storms pass. Morning vill be here before you know it."

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The storm had indeed ceased by morning, leaving a brilliant blue sky in its wake. Both Yeager and Gauche had fallen asleep on the couch - him sitting up, leaving a terribly uncomfortable crick in his neck. Yeager rose not long after the sun did, tucked the blanket around the still-sleeping Gauche, and went to fix his hair and straighten his clothes as best as he could.

Then he went to make himself a nice big cup of coffee. Coffee with lots and lots of sugar in it.

"Ah, good morning," Ms. Ferris greeted him as she came into the kitchen, pulling out some bread and jam. "Did you have a nice night?"

"Wunderbar!" Yeager answered with assurance. (He was never sleeping on that stupid couch again.) But Ms. Ferris smiled and nodded at him, and finished her bread and jam in silence.

"Well," the Headmistress said then, putting her plate in the sink, "I'll be off. There's some bread and oatmeal in the cupboard, if you would like."

"Off?" Yeager looked at her. "Vhere are you off to so early in ze day?"

"The square, of course," Ms. Ferris explained. "You may have taken care of the groceries, but we still have to make rent."

"You're..._renting?_" Yeager was flabbergasted, to say the least. "_Zis_ place? For how much?" The so-called building was falling apart; how could anyone in their right mind _possibly_ rent _this?_

"It's only what my mother could afford," Ms. Ferris answered. "We moved over here from Capua Nor five years ago, when the new - well, not so new anymore - magistrate was appointed. She felt that his influence was...poisonous. She felt that the children would fare better in a city run by the guilds, so we moved. But, it did cost us financially, in ways my mother didn't anticipate. Far fewer nobles pass through Torim than Nor."

"How much do you need?"

"Hmm?"

"How. Much. Do. You. Need?" he ground out cheerfully. Yeager wore a smile, but she got the distinct feeling that he was actually glaring at her.

"You can't be serious - you've done so much for us already!"

"Let's zee...groceries are covered already, so, figure in water, electricity, gas...other essentials...and you're going to get zhat roof patched, at least. But I vill find someone to take care of zhat myself." Yeager reached into his coat and pulled out his checkbook. "Vhat is zhis renting for?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Zhat's alright - I am sure zhat Antoine or one of ze girls vill-"

"Antoine and the girls don't know-"

"Vant to bet on zhat?" Yeager wrote out a sum. "Nevermind it; I know one or two things about ze real estate in zis city, and I made a guess. I think zhat vill cover it for zhis month." He tore out the check, and held it out to the Headmistress. But she didn't take it.

"Why?" she asked, tears in her eyes as she looked at him. Yeager stared back, thinking a moment.

Why _was_ he doing it? It wasn't for a thank-you. And, though he did truly feel for anyone who had lost someone in the War or otherwise, and especially for whatever orphans had been created (whether or not he'd personally had a hand in it), such things _had_ happened on both sides; there were just as many orphans and widows and widowers in Zaphias and the Imperial cities as there were in the Guild Lands. It wasn't exactly a penance on his part, either.

"...Because you are doing a noble thing," he finally said. "I have seen ze orphanages in Zaphias and I have seen ze one in Dahngrest. Zaphias's ones are filled wis' material needs, but zhey do not give ze children love. And in Dahngrest zhey are expected to conform to zhat city's traditions...which is not a bad sing, but zhey still do not give as much care as you do. I remember vhat it vas like to have ze pressure to conform as a child. I didn't like it zhen and I don't like it now. You do not expect conformity - you only love."

"_Take_ it," he insisted, and this time, she did.

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Yeager returned on Sylphday, having promised to see Antoine off. The boy was to meet Mr. Mills, then they were immediately going on a two-week sojourn to Zaphias. He hugged his Nanny and his brothers and sisters, and then approached Yeager.

"Thank you for everything," Antoine said. "If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have gotten to know Mr. Mills, and I wouldn't be able to join their guild like this."

"Who knows? You might have," Yeager replied amiably. Antoine only shook his head and chuckled.

"Thank you for everything," he repeated. The guildsleader reached out and hugged the boy.

"You're velcome," he said. "I'm certain you'll do a fine job; best of luck to you, Antoine. I'm sure our paths vill cross again." The boy nodded, smiling, and took off down the walk and around the corner. Many of the children were crying, as well as Ms. Ferris.

"I'm really going to miss Antoine," Droite sniffed from beside him.

"It is hard to say goodbye," Yeager agreed, smiling gently at her. "It's all a part of growing up - one day you vill be ze one leaving here. And you know vhat zhey say...goodbyes are not forever. I'm certain he'll come to visit you often."

"Do you think so?"

"Vouldn't you if ze situations were reversed?"

Droite sniffed and nodded. "Of course." Yeager smiled again and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Zhen I am sure Antoine vill do ze same, ja? Who knows, you and Gauche could be next," he suggested, ruffling her hair.

"Ah, but unfortunately, I must be going as vell; I have a meeting in another city."

"Um...Yeager?"

"Hmm?"

"Um...I...I wanted to thank you, too. Gauche told me about how you helped her the other night."

Yeager nodded. "No trouble at all, Liebchen - none at all. I am glad I vas able to help."

"Um...you're...going to come back and visit us again soon, right?"

Yeager nodded. "I vill. I'll come visit again ze next time I am in town."

"_Promise?_"

He nodded again. "I promise."

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_CREDITS to (take out the spaces) **http:/ /amberspike-sama. deviantart. com/** and **http:/ /of-guilds-and-unions. proboards. ?board=applic ations&ac tion=dis play&th read=9** for the inspiration of the thunder scenes. Thankies muchos! :)_

GOOD SYLPH IT'S DONE.

This chapter turned out to be much trickier to write than I'd initially anticipated; Yeager's a real pain XD While he's no Sosuke Aizen, he nevertheless is VERY clever and good at predicting what will and won't happen. I wrestled quite exhaustively with myself over some of his simplest actions XD Worked on the accent, too; a few people said I overdid it in the last one, so I tried to tone it down a bit ;)

Also, for anyone who's curious, this story _is_going to go up to and beyond Zaude (I'm already writing parts of that, actually - and it is a tear-jerker, warnings abound right now XD). Once the girls get into Leviathan's Claw, I've intended for the story to become somewhat more episodic, in that you'll see scenes and whatnot as the girls grow up.

(Like to see something? Drop me a note or a PM and I will see what can be done!).

About ten or so chapters of that, I think, then we'll start hitting the actual game. I'm supposing that the fic itself will run twenty to twenty-five chapters or so: Zaude itself will take up four chapters, plus we'll have two or three chapters of Aftermath. Once we start hitting the game, Yeager only has a limited number of chapters left. T.T

Weeeeeeell, that about covers it. I hope everyone enjoyed it; thank you all for reading!

**NOTES:**

- Yeager did indeed let the bratty teens live. He just casually mentioned that he ran a big guild that had access to lots and lots of weapons, that he thought picking on orphans was disgusting, and that he, personally, had killed people. =3

- The deal with Gauche and Droite not actually being twins is one I have toyed with for quite some time; nonetheless, I am not the first to think of it nor use it in a fanfic. However, the idea of 'Gauche' and 'Droite' being nicknames is mine (at least, I haven't seen it anywhere else). (Anyone else who would like to use this, please feel free to do so :)

- Owing to his background and military career, Yeager can speak a grand total of four languages: Nihongan (Japanese - learned), Francaisan (French - learned), Doitshan (German - native), and Saxonian (English - native). Many soldiers can speak a variety of languages; as such, Raven, the Brigades, and Alexei can also speak more than one language (and Flynn is learning ;P). Yeager speaks the Colonial dialect of Saxonian, not the Kingsbury one (differences explained below).)

**LANGUAGE NAMES TO KNOW:**

- _Doitshan_ comes from _Deutsch_ (pron. "Doytsh"), which is the German word for "German". Essentially, it's an English transliteration of "Deutsch" with the English "-an" suffix to make it an adjective. This idea comes from _Tales of the Abyss_' fictional Ancient Ispanian language: "Ispanian" is derived from _Espana_, which is the Spanish word for Spain. (German's word for Germany is _Deutschland_ - "Doitshlant").

- _Francaisan_ is pronounced "Frahnt-swah-zan"; _Parysan_ is pronounced "Pari-san", and is the Francaisan-speaking (French-speaking) district of Zaphias. ("Francais" is the French word for "French".) Spelling it phonetically made it look very strange, so I left that the way it was. (Hopefully any French-speaking readers will not find this too annoying/stupid ^^;)

- _Nihongan_ comes from "nihongo" - the Japanese word for "Japanese _language_" - with the English suffix "-an" attached on the end. (Are we seeing a pattern, here? XD)

- _Saxonian_ is taken from the branch of languages that English belongs to, "Anglo-Saxon" (had to get a little more creative for that one!), and there's two particular dialects I'll be referring to, as American English and British English are actually fairly different from each other. American English is referred to as Colonial Saxonian (from the Colonies) and British English is Kingsbury Saxonian (the name Kingsbury courtesy of _Howl's Moving Castle_). Yeager is American in the Japanese version, so he speaks and spells things the Colonial way.

I'll be referencing these languages in the future - I think it's pretty straightforward, but if anyone gets confused later, this is where to look. Also, anyone else who would like to use these (or would like to suggest a language/better spelling/etc), please feel free to do so, or leave me a comment :)


	4. The Guild

_Sorry for the delays; work and work-related stresses kept the creative juices away from this one for a bit. Hope everyone enjoys it._

**DISCLAIMER:**** I do not own Tales copyright or the characters; I am merely a fan who enjoys writing about them. All rights belong to Namco; character designs (c) Kosuke Fujishima.**

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**Serendipity  
**  
-Chapter 4: The Guild-

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Yeager was to visit the little orphanage many times over the next three months (always making sure he brought an umbrella, and that he left by ten o' clock at the very latest). The children adored him, and he had gotten to know several of them very well, including the little Misses Left and Right.

Yeager had continued to make donations to the orphanage; he and Mills had worked out a better system for the groceries, which involved the governess herself just placing the orders, and then charging it to Yeager's account (after much encouraging and insistences on Yeager's part, of course. She'd finally adjusted, but it had taken quite some time for her to warm up to the idea). For everything else, the guildsleader gave her a generous allowance.

(He _had_ finally gotten the rent amount out of her. Or, more accurately, out of Gauche and Droite, who were more than happy to do anything he asked them to do.) In fact, his initial guesstimate had been more than enough to cover it, but as he'd also suspected, the rickety place was a bit of a rip-off as far as rental properties went. He might have gone and haggled the owner a bit, but he did not want to cause undue trouble for the governess or children, so he settled for making some small and relatively inexpensive repairs where they were needed (sans the roof, of course. The roof was neither small nor inexpensive, but was definitely necessary).

(In truth, Yeager was keeping an eye out for any deals on a more suitable building for the institution, so he was reluctant to make any huge improvements to a house that was sub-par to begin with. Let the dasterdly owner who _rented _it in that condition see to those!)

Several other changes had also been instituted since Yeager had begun sponsoring the home, mostly in its daily routines. For one thing, the governess no longer had to go out and peddle flowers or homemade goods...instead, she was to stay and hone the childrens' skills and see to their basic education. This was what the orphanages in Zaphias did (in fact, many of the noblewomen came in to tutor the children, feeling a sort of smug pride at helping those less fortunate). There were regular schools in Zaphias, but the institutions there focused more on teaching orphans skills that would enable them to get jobs; providing in-house tutors allowed them to more seamlessly blend learning those skills with a basic education.

(In Dahngrest, there was no such issue; combining a more pragmatic education with that of books had always been a way of life, and all children, orphan and non, attended one of two schools on the eastern or western sides of town.)

All-in-all, the relationship between guildleader and orphanage was proving to be a beneficial one, and not just on the orphanage's part (although privately, Ms. Ferris felt that they were getting the lion's share of the deal). But Yeager frequently visited when he was in the area, for he enjoyed talking and playing with the children, hearing of the things that they were learning and doing.

"You make a good father-figure for the children," Ms. Ferris commented to him one day, flooring him completely (he really should be getting used to that). "It's good for them to have a positive male influence in their lives."

"Father-figure?" he repeated, flabbergasted.

"Yes," the governess said pleasantly. "What else would you be? You do far more for us than any noble ever has; your scope of care goes far beyond that of just "sponsor". Material concerns aside, you listen to them when they talk, and offer help where you can. Isn't that what fathers do?"

"...I simply did not sink of it zhat vay," Yeager finally responded. He'd always wanted children of his own, someday - if only fate had not stepped in and taken away his darling Casey - but since that desire was likely to be left unfulfilled, he would settle for being an acting father instead. He did truly enjoy the children's company, after all.

"Gauche and Droite have become especially fond of you," Ms. Ferris said then. "They light up whenever you visit."

Yeager smiled. "I'm quite fond of zhem, as well," he chuckled. "Zhey're rather entertaining, always keeping me on my toes."

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Yeager had arrived in Torim that week from Dahngrest. He would be staying for two weeks, taking care of things in that town and visiting with some new potential clients in its sister city Nor. He'd disembarked a day prior, had a good long night's sleep at the Inn, and was off to the orphanage by ten-thirty in the morning. Along the way, he stopped at the bakery and purchased five-dozen pastries; heaven knew the children - and their governess! - could use a special treat now and again.

He navigated through the now-familiar side-streets, and soon the home came into view. By eleven-thirty, Ms. Ferris usually had the children play in the house or yard while she prepared lunch, and that was where they were, now. The children all knew Yeager by now, and a crowd of them cheerfully ran to greet him as he approached, laughing and calling out to him.

"What's that in the boxes?"

"Was your trip long?"

"Nanny didn't tell us you were coming!"

"One moment, one moment," he laughed, "how about ve let me get inside, first, ja?"

"What's in the boxes?" Droite asked him again, hugging his leg.

"Impatient as ever, I see," Yeager chuckled. "It's a bit of a surprise for everyone. But you must vait until after lunch, ja?"

"It's an eat-treat!"

"Perhaps-"

"Yeager, what a pleasant surprise!" Ms. Ferris came out of the house, Gauche at her heels, both having heard the commotion from inside. "We were just starting lunch."

"Vell zhen, I von't keep you from zhat."

"Oh, my, what's in those boxes?"

"A bit of a surprise for everyone," he replied elusively, walking inside the house to the kitchen. "Vhat vere you making for lunch?"

"Cheese sandwiches and tomato soup," Ms. Ferris replied, sniffing at the boxes. "Pastries? _Really_, Yeager, you don't need to do this for us!"

"Vhy, Ms. Ferris - zhat's vhat makes it such fun!" Ms. Ferris sighed and shook her head with a smile. Honestly, the man was downright impossible sometimes!

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After lunch, Ms. Ferris had to go and run some other errands, namely purchasing sewing needles, fabric, and buttons, for some of the younger childrens' clothes were needing repairs. Most of them had done well in their studies over the past few weeks, and since Yeager was there, she permitted them to take the rest of the day off.

"I shouldn't be more than two hours," she said cheerfully. "You all know the rules...Yeager, will you be staying for supper as well?"

"Most likely."

"In that case, I'll leave you in charge," she smiled. "I'll see you all later. Behave nicely." The governess left, and Yeager turned to the children with a wink.

"Vell zhen, I believe a good game of Freeze Tag is in order, ja? Better start running!" The children screamed delightedly, taking off in all directions as he gave chase. Franz and Esmerelda had re-introduced Yeager to the game a month and a half ago (he had played it when he was young, as well), and since then it had become somewhat of a tradition, him usually starting out as "It". He didn't mind though; the game was thoroughly entertaining, especially with thirty-or-so children, most of whom under age ten.

Yes, he'd certainly get his exercise today.

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An hour later, he and most of the children had moved into the main room. Yeager was _tired_ after that long game, and had settled down on the couch with a book.

"Um...Yeager?" Gauche approached him shyly. "May we speak with you?"

"Hmm?" Yeager looked up from his book. "Of course, Liebchen. Vhat did you need?"

"We, ahm..."

"Well..."

"We want to join your guild!" both girls exclaimed.

_Huh?_

"Join ze...join _Leviasan's _Claw?"

"Yes."

"Uh-huh."

Leviathan's Claw had almost fifty members, nearly all of whom were men. The youngest was seventeen, and the oldest was fifty-two. While they were very professional _outside_ their compound, sailor talk and drunken idiocy were not exactly uncommon sights at the Manor of the Wicked (though Yeager only tolerated so much before he put his foot down). The compound itself was filled with knifes, guns, sickles, swords, bows, maces, axes, everything in between, hybrids of any given weapon and sometimes combinations of three or four of them (Yeager's own sciflebow was a crossbow, rifle, scythe, and scimitar), not to mention copious amounts of hoplon blastia. And for all their professionality and straight-cut image in the business world (in and outside of the Empire), they were also involved with a number of things that were under the table, and that meant they were involved with a number of dangerous people.

In short, they were _not_ good company for little girls.

The problem was conveying this to two little girls without them taking it personally. Yeager sighed.

"Gauche, Droite - I'm flattered," he finally said, looking at them. "Truly. However, I'm afraid I must decline you at zhis point. Ve do some dangerous sings and deal wis' some very dangerous people. Leviasan's Claw is not a place for children." There. It _was_ true that he was more uneasy about little girls joining as opposed to little boys - he was uneasy about the "little" part, period - but at least this way, hopefully, the girls would take it less personally than they otherwise might. He watched the two carefully.

"What about an apprenticeship or something?" Droite barreled on. "We know we would need some learning and training first. We wouldn't expect to do everything right away."

"Vhy is it so imperative?" Yeager asked then. "Zhere are many good guilds in Dahngrest, guilds zhat deal in less...complicated trades."

"But we want to join _your_ guild," Droite protested.

"You're the one that's done all this for us," Gauche added. "We want to give something back...please?"

Yeager smiled, "Liebchen, I did not do zhis to "get somesing back"."

"But that makes it even nicer!" Droite burst out.

"Yes, and this way we could give back to Nanny, too," Gauche said then.

"Liebchen-"

"Oh, please let us join! I'm nine and Gauche is eight...that's when most Dahngrest kids join a guild, anyway, isn't it?"

"Liebchen-"

"Please - we'll work hard, Yeager! We won't let you down..."

"_Liebchen-_"

"We can-mmmph!"

Yeager had reached out and with either hand (gently) pinched both their lips shut. He'd been interrupted three times now, and it was his turn to talk. The girls looked on him with surprise, and he raised at them a non-existant eyebrow.

"Are you two going to allow me to zpeak?" His voice carried the slightest undercurrents of sternness, and it was enough of a warning for them. They nodded. "Gut. I am going to let go of your lips, and vhen I do, I vant you to _listen_, ja?" They nodded again, and he let go.

"In ze first place, _no_, I do not do apprenticeships for anyone under ze age of fifteen. As I said, ve are dealing in veapons. Zhis can be a dangerous trade, not just merchandise-wise, but wis' ze people ve are dealing wis', also. And I have dealt wis' some _very dangerous_ people," he enunciated, thinking of Alexei. Heaven help him, Yeager idly thought, if Alexei ever found out about the orphanage.

"Secondly," Yeager continued, casting that thought out of his mind, "_yes_, eight and nine _are_ typically when orphaned Guild children find a guild to join. _However_, every guild is different and has different critertia, creeds and regulations zhat zhey adhere to for different reasons. Leviasan's Claw rarely, _rarely_, accepts anyone under ze age of fifteen. Even before my tenure as director, _zhis_ vas ze policy. Ve can't very well have children playing around veapons zhat could easily, irrepairably hurt, or even kill zhem, could ve? And I could never live wis' myself if somesing like zhat happened.

"Lastly," Yeager began, expression softening into a smile, "you two, are - as ve have established - _children_. Myself and Ms. Ferris have done zhese sings because ve _vanted_ to, _for_ you. Ve require no repayment vhatsoever, ja? If you really vant to give back, do not waste vhat ve are working to give you, and be as helpful around zhis home as you always have been. Concentrate on your learning for now, and put it to good use later. Living well..._zhat_ is ze best way you can "repay" us."

"Mmm...that's not a way at all..."

"It is to me. And I am sure it is to Ms. Ferris, as well," he said gently.

"We still want to-"

"Gauche, Droite," Yeager stopped them. He was not actually angry, but there was a certain firmness to his tone that allowed no room for argument. "Girls, I am sorry - _truly_, I am. But I cannot allow you entry into ze guild until you are at least fifteen years of age. Zhose are ze requirements and I cannot let zhat one slide."

"But..."

"Ze subject is closed," he said shortly, unwilling to discuss the matter any further. There wasn't anything left to discuss, anyway. He intended to go back to his reading, but the girls looked so disappointed...heartbroken, really, and that was a stab to his own not-heart. He sighed, and pulling either girl's chin up with a knuckle, so that he could look at their faces.

"Understand," he said then, very gently, a kind smile in place, "Understand, girls - zhis is not a reflection or rejection of either of you. On the contrary - both of you have many fine qualities zhat vould surely be useful in Leviasan's Claw...but your age is a factor zhat I cannot overlook. I would not approve for _any_one your age to join, ja?"

"...Mmm."

"Cheer up, girls," he smiled. "Vhy don't you sit down?"

"Um...no, that's okay," Gauche spoke. "Droite and I have...have things to do."

"...Very well, zhen," Yeager said, smile firmly in place, "I von't keep you. But if you need anysing else, don't hesitate to ask." The girls nodded politely and hurried from the room. Yeager sighed massively; they were clearly very upset, and now he was, too. Still, what was he supposed to do? They were way, way too young to join a guild like Leviathan's Claw.

When Ms. Ferris came back she was surprised to see that the girls were nowhere to be seen. Dinner came and went, and both Gauche and even the normally bubbly Droite were very withdrawn. Not only that, but the girls - usually glued to Yeager's sides at mealtimes - actually seemed to be avoiding him.

"Yeager?" she asked later, after the children were in bed. "Did something happen with Gauche and Droite?"

The guildsleader sighed. So she _had_ noticed. "Vell...you see..." He explained the scene from earlier in the day.

"No, I understand completely," she nodded, after he had finished. "Those regulations are in place for a reason. I don't blame you for turning them down. They'll understand someday."

"I hope so. Anyvay, it grows late; I'd best be leaving, if you vill excuse me."

Ms. Ferris smiled at him. "Don't fret so much. The girls will come around soon enough."

"It's not zhat I don't vant zhem around - on the contrary, I find zhem both highly intelligent and in possession of a good many qualities zhat vould benefit ze guild, but..."

"It's alright," Ms. Ferris repeated gently. "I understand. And they probably do, too. They'll come around."

"I hope so. Vell, I'll be going now. Guten Nacht."

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Yeager did not come the next two days (he had business the first day, and the second day was Remday), but he did return for supper the day after that. Gauche and Droite had gotten over their disappointments with him, and greeted the guildsleader with their usual smiles and hugs (which he cheerfully returned). Things went smoothly until about eight-o'-clock, when the girls once again approached him.

"May we talk to you?"

"Of course, Droite," Yeager smiled. "Vhat about?"

"...Well, we were thinking about what you said last time. About the guild."

Oh, great. Yeager kept the smile pasted on his face.

"We were thinking about what you said," Droite told him. "About the weapons. Gauche and I are both old enough to know better."

"We wouldn't shoot or slice ourselves."

Yeager did not know how to respond. On one hand, he was annoyed; hadn't he made this clear last time? On the other hand, he had to admire their determination, especially coming from ones so young.

"...I'm sure you vouldn't, Liebchen," he finally said, gently, "but ze rules stand firm. No one under fifteen."

"Yes, but you said that that was because of the weapons," Gauche replied.

"I also said zhat vas because of some of ze people," Yeager reminded her. Sighing, he stood up, putting a hand on each of the girls' shoulders.

"Darlings," Yeager began, "your determination is admirable, and I am truly flattered that of all ze guilds, you wish to join mine. But my decision from before stands, and I would appreciate it if you vould just let it be, ja? I don't like saying no all ze time and seeing your sad faces."

"If you would just say "yes" then you wouldn't have to say "no"?" Droite chirped. Yeager smiled, but raised a nonexistant eyebrow.

"If you vould just not ask I vould not have to say anysing at all," he chirped right back. "Please, leave it be. I know zhat it is not easy, and that it is difficult to understand, but zhis is for your safety. I could never forgive myself if somesing happened to you two, especially if it vas fully preventable."

The girls frowned again, but this time Yeager made them sit down on either side of him, placing an arm around each one and hugging them.

"I promise," he said, "zhat once you turn fifteen, if you are still interested, you vill be inducted right away, ja?"

The girls sighed, "Alright."

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Yeager did not return for the next four days because of things to do in Capua Nor. He returned to Torim for the weekend, however, one that would prove to be the most memorable weekend in a long, long time.

When Yeager came to visit that Loreleiday - laden with pastries again - the children had swarmed around him at once, but Gauche and Droite were nowhere in sight, much to Yeager's disappointment. For the last two months, they'd usually been the first to greet and hug him, and he had come to look forward to it.

"Vhere _are _Gauche and Droite?" Yeager asked, after he'd finished greeting and hugging the other children. "Zhey're usually out here, ja?"

"They're inside the house," Phillipe chirped. "They said they were going to start lunch."

"Gauche and Droite are?" Yeager tilted his head. "Is Ms. Ferris in zhere wis' zhem?"

"Uh-uh," Franz answered this time, shaking his head. "Nanny's been in her room all day; Droite said she wasn't feeling good."

"Oh, dear," Yeager frowned. "Vell, I'll go put zhese inside and see if I can't help. Franz, you continue to hold ze fort down out here, ja?"

"Aye aye, sir!" Franz smiled and mock-saluted, eliciting a chuckle from the guildsleader.

"At ease, cadet," Yeager replied easily, turning and striding inside.

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Gauche and Droite were in the kitchen, busily making up plates of sandwiches. They stopped when they saw Yeager, though, and ran to hug him.

"We're so happy to see you!" Droite said, glomping him. Yeager got the impression that it was less to do with him and more to do with there being an adult around who was not more-or-less incapacitated (though it was true the girls were always delighted when he came to visit).

"I am happy to see you, too," Yeager replied nonetheless, returning the hug. "Now, vhat's zhis about Ms. Ferris being ill?"

"...She's in bed," Gauche said, frowning deeply, "she's been in bed all day..."

"I see." He paused a moment, thinking, noting the worry in their faces. Was the governess really that sick, or was it merely youth's inexperience exaggerating things?

"Vell, vhat do you say I go check on her, and you keep sings going out here, ja?" He smiled, and they nodded. "Don't vorry, ve'll set sings right. I'll be back in just a moment." He walked down the short hall to the governess' room, listening at the door for a moment before knocking.

"Ms. Ferris?" Yeager called, rapping on the door. "Madam, are you decent? May I come in?" There was a muffled reply that he didn't really understand, but he did need to ascertain the situation. Slowly, carefully, he inched open the door to peek inside; under the covers was a lump with a mop of red hair sticking out.

"Ms. Ferris?" Yeager called again, softly, approaching the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked, kneeling down at her head. "Ze girls said you veren't vell."

"Gauche and Droite?" she coughed, then turned over to face him. The poor lady's cheeks were flushed red, and her eyes were tired and bloodshot. He put a hand to her forehead; she was definitely sick, but nothing that a good bed rest shouldn't cure.

"Dear, dear..." the governess coughed again. "Those poor things, they've been doing everything today...I-I need to get up...get lunch ready..."

"Not with a fever like zhat, you're not." In spite of himself, Yeager chuckled. Stubborn woman. "Besides, ze girls have a plate of sandviches zhey are setting out. And I can help, too."

"You do too much already..." the governess protested, but she was in no condition to put up a real argument (as if she would have won it, anyway).

"Nein - you are not to do a single thing today," the guildsleader ordered. "Gauche and Droite and I can handle it for one day. Ve'll hold down ze fort. You just rest."

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"How are things going on zhis end?" Yeager asked as he came back into the kitchen. "Vell, you two look like you're doing just fine wis' ze sandviches."

"We're almost done."

"Gut. I'm going to get your nanny some soup; zhat ought to help her feel better."

"Okay..." Even the normally boisterous Droite was more quiet.

"Vhat's wrong, Liebchen?" Yeager asked gently. "Vhat's bothering you?"

"Is...is Nanny going to be okay?" Droite asked anxiously.

"Of course!" Yeager couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "It's nothing more zhan a bad cold, zhat's all. She'll be up and about in no time - vell, as long as she gets ze proper rest."

"You're sure?"

"Positive," Yeager insisted. "Now, vhy don't you two finish making zhose sandviches for everyone, ja? Zhen after zhat you can all eat your pastries and ve'll think about vhat to do."

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The day proved to be one of Yeager's busier ones. Though he supported the orphanage financially, he hadn't realized exactly what went into Ms. Ferris' days and nights. Dinner still needed to be planned, there was some laundry to do (with thirty children underfoot, Ms. Ferris usually had to do at least some laundry everyday), and due to the governess' illness, not a stitch of schooling had been done.

"Some schooling for everyone," Yeager insisted. "Just a review. Pair or triple-up and quiz each other, ja? Franz, Effie, and Joshua, you be in charge of zhat."

Gauche, Droite, Marcus, and some of the other children helped get the laundry started, then he and the three older children decided on what to have for dinner. Then there were the fights to break up and the arguments to settle. The children were usually on their best behavior when he was there, but he was inside so much, they kept forgetting. And when he did visit, he usually kept them occupied with Freeze Tag and Hide-'n-Seek and whatever else the children came up with. When the last big argument broke out over someone "cheating" on Baloney Sandwich for the millionth time (a game which was intended for cheating, _anyway_), Yeager had had enough and silenced them all with his patented Shark Glare, then banished the game for the rest of the day.

"I regret ever teaching them zhat stupid card game..." Yeager muttered to himself. That'd teach him, for sure.

For dinner, they decided on breakfast: pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns. Overall, it was rather simple, and it was easy to make a lot of everything. Dishes came after that (the older children kindly pitching in), as well as folding the laundry that had been drying in the sun earlier. Yeager was sore pleased when bedtime came and the children were made to go to sleep. He was exhausted.

"Hmm?" The pitter-patter of feet on the floor roused him, and a good thing, too. He hadn't realized it, but he'd been drifting off on the couch.

"I'm sorry!" Droite exclaimed quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you up!"

"Zhat's alright," Yeager sat up tiredly, cracking his neck. "If you hadn't, I'd be suffering in ze morning."

"Hmm?" Droite looked confused; she didn't get it. Yeager shrugged.

"Never mind it," he said then, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "But vhat are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep..." Droite whimpered, clutching her stuffed cat.

"Still worried about your nanny?" the guildsleader kindly asked, and the little girl nodded solemnly. Yeager lifted an arm, jerking his head in his direction. "Come sit, Liebchen." The little girl hurried over, curling up against him.

"I know it seems serious," Yeager said then, "but it really is just a bad cold. If it were truly something more threatening, I vould have sent for a doctor. It's just a cold, darling, nothing more."

"Mmm." Yeager's presence was a comforting one, and Droite snuggled closer. It was nice, sitting like this. She felt...safe, content.

"I'm really glad you came when you did," she said then. "Gauche and Franz and I were really scared about Nanny and we didn't know exactly what to do..."

"It can be a scary thing to have to take charge, and wis'out a real safety net," Yeager agreed, squeezing her shoulder, "but you did quite vell overall. Don't be too hard on yourself. And you were of great help to me; I never vould have been able to know vhat to do all day. I zimply don't have to think about such things on a regular basis." He sure had newfound respect for Ms. Ferris, though.

"I wish we could join your guild," Droite whimpered at him suddenly. "Guilds are supposed to be like family, right? Then a guild boss would be like a daddy...I wish you _were_ our daddy."

Something pricked in his not-heart. "...Zhat's very sweet of you," he said in a half-chuckle. "Try and sleep, Liebchen. Morning vill be here before you know it."

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The next day, Gnomeday, was just as chaotic, but by Remday, Ms. Ferris had completely recovered, having slept for the majority of the two days before. She thanked Yeager profusely for his timely assistance, to which he responded with his insistant "It vas not a problem.". (And it wasn't, really...it had been several problems all hitting at the same time!)

"I do have one thing I wish to ask you about, zhough," Yeager broached, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. Most of the children were outside; it was a beautiful day.

"Hmm? Of course."

"...Zhis may sound rather strange, but...how exactly vould one go about ze adoption process?"

"...Gauche and Droite?" the governess smiled, and Yeager was both surprised and impressed.

"How did you guess?"

"I woke up one morning to find Gauche curled up on your lap. I think it was the first night you spent here, months ago. And you always light up when you see them, moreso than for the other children. But are you sure this is what you want to do?" She looked at him seriously. "It's not easy being a parent, you know. There's no greater joy in the world, but there are so many responsibilities that go with it...are you prepared to take such things on?"

"If I vasn't, I vouldn't be asking, vould I?" Yeager responded with a wink. "But I've constantly been thinking it over, since the other night," the guildsleader continued. Something had been missing in his life, too. "I have _always_ vanted children of my own, and I might have had, were my fiancee not killed in zhat War-"

"Oh, dear, I'm so sor-"

"But yes, to answer your question...yes, zhis is somesing I really vant to do - vell, provided ze girls don't object."

"Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that," Ms. Ferris chuckled. "They always talk about you; they really admire you.

"As for the adoption process...really, all we do is provide you with a certificate and papers proclaiming you as their legal guardian, and this is mostly for the Empire's benefit. As you well know, the Guild City is far less strict when it comes to such things." It was true. If a man proclaimed another as his brother or son, they were brother (or son) and that was the end of it. Then again, Don Whitehorse had always had more common sense than that incorrigible fool Alexei.

"Vell, zhen," Yeager said, "might we ask zhem today?"

Ms. Ferris smiled. "Of course." She walked out of the kitchen, into the main room. "Gauche, Droite, come in here, please," the governess called. The girls appeared, and Ms. Ferris beckoned them over to where she and Yeager were sitting.

"What's up?" Droite wondered.

"Is something the matter?" Gauche asked.

"Yeager has something he'd like to discuss with the two of you," Ms. Ferris told them, and they looked at him curiously.

"Hmm?"

"What...is it?"

"Vell..." Yeager paused. This really shouldn't be so difficult, but he found that it was. Was he scared? But something had definitely pricked in his not-heart the other day, and he was unwilling to ignore it. "I know zhat you vere disappointed at not being old enough to join ze guild," he finally continued, "however, I believe zhat perhaps zhere is another, even more suitable arrangement...if ze two of you vill agree to it."

"Hmm?" Gauche and Droite were watching him carefully, surprised to see the smile on his face.

"What...do you mean?" Droite asked, she and Gauche tilting their heads to either side.

"Gauche, Droite," Yeager said, watching them carefully, as well. "How vould you like to come and live at ze Manor wis' me - not as guildmembers, but as my daughters?"

Silence. They stared at him, blinking, in surprise. Finally, Gauche opened her mouth.

"...Are...you...are you...joking?"

"Hmm? Of course not."

There was a rushing of fabric and a yelp from Yeager, who was trying not to fall off the dining bench as he was being glomped by two little girls.

"Really? Really-really?" Droite was saying excitedly. "Really-really-_really?_" Yeager chuckled as he hugged the girls back.

"I think I can take zhat as a "yes" from both of you, ja?" he laughed, hugging them back.

"_Yes!_" the girls chorused.

******.v:V:v.v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v..v:V:v.**

Yeager had some business to finalize in Nor on Lunaday, but he returned on Undineday to take the girls back to Dahngrest with him. He had worried a bit that the other children might be a little jealous, but Ms. Ferris insisted that they leave that up to her. He arrived that morning to find the girls all packed and ready (Ms. Ferris said they'd pretty much been packed and ready since Remday). As with Antoine, there was a great deal of bittersweet feelings and tearful goodbyes. The girls hugged Ms. Ferris and their brothers and sisters, faithfully promising to visit with their new father, and bid them farewell.

"Hey, Yeager," Droite cheerfully began, looking up at him as he guided them through the city, "it looks like your prediction was right, after all!"

"Hmm?" Yeager looked puzzledly at her, and Gauche seemed confused, as well. Droite giggled.

"The next kids to leave the orphanage _were_ us!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Eh, not one of my better chapters. I think it's kinda _blah,_ near the end, anyway. (I suppose every author, though, will have chapters they don't particularly like.) Oh well, read, review, tell me what you think, and what I can do better on.

Also, send me some ideas for what you'd like to see in the future! I don't want to jump right into the game, so I plan to have seven-to-ten "episodic" chapters, before we hit the real meat of the game - however, I only have a few ideas what to really focus on for those. Here's some scenarios I already intend to do:

Training  
Caress of Death  
the Blastia Heart  
Ruby and Emerald Swords  
Puberty (haha Yeager'll like _that_ one)

Not necessarily in that order, just scenes I'm _definitely _going to do. Have an idea? Send it along! I may or may not use it, but anything can set off a good brainstorm! :D Thanks!

-Some of you may have noticed the "retcon" from my fic _Dad?_; initially, I had really intended for them to follow him all the way to Dahngrest. Then I got to thinking, and studied some maps, and went WHOOPS! (Keep in mind, _Dad?_ was written over two years ago). REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, if Tolbyccia is even _half_ the length of the US, that's _still_ 1,500 miles. Even if the road was well-marked, that's means camping out for nights on end, plus there's monsters and bandits and all other manner of things that two nine-year-olds (without the aid of Charizard, Pikachu, or Gengar ;)) could not handle. On top of all that (to state the obvious), Yeager's pretty observant. No way in heck those girls could tail him all the way to Dahngrest without him even noticing. So, that's been changed (I may or may nor be editing _Dad?_ to reflect that, some time in the future.)

-Yeager's weapon does in fact have not three, but _four_ transformations: rifle, scythe, crossbow, and scimitar (a scimitar is basically a curved sword). The scimitar is the least-used form Arte-wise; he only uses it in Sharp Blow and Caress of Death.

-If it weren't already obvious enough. Yeager has a very, _very_ strong Papa Wolf instinct; anyone who hurts a child in front of him might as well kiss themselves goodbye.

-Days of the Week ripped off from Tales of the Abyss. They are, with their Earth equivalent, as follows:

Remday = Sunday  
Lunaday = Monday  
Ifritday = Tuesday  
Undineday = Wednesday  
Sylphday = Thursday  
Loreleiday = Friday  
Gnomeday = Saturday

After Gnomeday, a new week begins with Remday again.

Well, I hope it was moderately enjoyable, at least :P Thanks so much for reading!


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